New report identifies three capacities that strengthen cross-sector workforce coalitions
The University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute (EGI) research offers practical guidance for building resilient partnerships, improving feedback loops, and adapting to changing workforce needs.
The new report, Collaborative Capacity in Cross-Sector Workforce Coalitions, examines how regional workforce partnerships can work more effectively across organizations, respond to uncertainty, and sustain their impact.
Authored by Dr. Emily J. Aiken, Senior Project Manager for Research at EGI, the report draws lessons from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge.
The report is designed for coalition leaders, employers, education and training providers, workforce agencies, community-based organizations, funders, and policymakers working to build and sustain workforce pathways within complex regional systems.
Three capacities for effective collaboration
The research identifies three interconnected capacities that consistently shaped coalitions’ ability to implement programs, solve problems, and adjust to changing conditions:
- Relational capacity: Building, sustaining, and repairing trust-based relationships so partners can coordinate, communicate, and remain accountable to shared outcomes.
- Feedback capacity: Gathering knowledge from across a coalition, creating shared understanding, and translating feedback into timely decisions and coordinated action.
- Adaptive capacity: Responding to emerging pressures through rapid learning, small-scale experimentation, and strategic adjustments.
Together, these elements form what the report calls collaborative capacity: a coalition’s ability to leverage the collective strengths of its members, stay aligned, learn together, and make coordinated changes in pursuit of shared outcomes.
The report finds that relationships serve as the infrastructure for effective feedback and adaptation. When trust and responsiveness are strong, partners are more likely to share candid information, act on requests, and follow through on commitments. Shared interpretation then helps coalitions turn that information into coordinated action, while flexible boundaries allow partners to adapt their approaches without losing accountability.
Research grounded in coalition experience
The findings are based on three phases of qualitative research conducted from 2023 through 2025. The research team interviewed leaders from all 32 Good Jobs Challenge award recipients at least twice, completing 91 interviews. Interview findings were supplemented by grantee progress reports, publicly available program documents, participant feedback, and additional background research.
Drawing on coalition leaders’ real-world experiences, the report provides actionable strategies for:
- Designing partnership networks around complementary capabilities
- Building trust and multiple points of connection across organizations
- Establishing shared language, roles, expectations, and decision-making processes
- Creating feedback loops that lead to visible action
- Identifying emerging pressures before they become major setbacks
- Testing low-risk adjustments before scaling them
- Capturing and sharing lessons from implementation
- Balancing accountability with local flexibility and experimentation
These evidence-informed practices can help workforce coalitions strengthen execution, accelerate learning, and build long-term regional resilience.
Download Collaborative Capacity in Cross-Sector Workforce Coalitions.
About the author and contributors
The report was authored by Dr. Emily J. Aiken, Senior Project Manager for Research at the University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute.
Contributors include:
- Swati Ghosh, Vice President, Insights and Innovations, New Growth Innovation Network
- M. Yasmina McCarty, CEO and President, New Growth Innovation Network
- Steve Wilson, Executive Director, University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute
About the University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute
EGI works to leverage the University of Michigan and other public/private resources, research, technologies, and expertise to foster innovation and economic growth.
About the New Growth Innovation Network
The New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) is a knowledge, insight, and innovation hub that supports economic development practitioners working to advance inclusive economic growth in their regions.
This report was prepared by the University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute using federal funds under agreement ED22HDQ3070128 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.